Owner urges action as downtown Coca-Cola building offered for sale amid insurance dispute; EDC site to list available properties

An owner of a downtown property said she is advertising her parcel together with the adjacent Coca‑Cola building and asked Economic Development Corporation staff to inspect the site as she seeks a buyer and repairs.

At the meeting, the property owner — identified in the transcript as Michelle — said the Coca‑Cola building could be included with the sale to offset the cost of rebuilding a collapsed front and stressed the venue’s potential for entertainment. “It holds a capacity of 241 people,” Michelle said, urging staff to visit the site and help assess reuse options.

Michelle also described a multi‑year dispute with Lloyd’s of London over coverage for the building’s collapse. “I had paid $41,000 in 6 years premiums,” she said, adding she paid about $7,000 in the last year and that the insurer’s engineer concluded the company could not separate collapse causes. She said she disputed the engineer’s report, canceled the policy and sought assistance from state officials.

City staff and others at the meeting said the EDC is creating a page on its website to list available city and private properties for lease or sale. An official present said the page will include properties “either for lease or for sale” and staff offered to follow up with the owner to coordinate showings. The owner said an out‑of‑town investor had already viewed the property and a local agent was scheduled for a showing the following Saturday.

Participants also pressed for improved public outreach. Several speakers urged more consistent coverage by the Grand Saline Sun and recommended short video updates and cross‑posting on council members’ social pages to increase visibility for city projects and available properties. One attendee described the city app as useful during a recent service disruption, saying the app’s push notification alerted residents about a water‑main break.

The meeting closed with a routine motion to adjourn. Scott Noble moved to adjourn at 7:33 p.m.; Thomas seconded and the chair called the vote.

What happens next: staff said they would follow up with the property owner and EDC staff to coordinate an inspection and the planned EDC listings page. The owner said she will continue marketing the building and pursue assistance on the insurance matter.